I remember knowing, for a while, for a long time, that I was

Hear the words of Vitalik Buterin, the architect of Ethereum, whose vision reshaped the world of technology: “I remember knowing, for a while, for a long time, that I was kind of abnormal in some sense.” In this confession lies a truth older than empires: that those who bear the mark of difference often feel the weight of strangeness, yet it is precisely this abnormality that births greatness. For the path of the uncommon soul is not smooth, but it leads to horizons unseen by ordinary eyes.

The ancients often spoke of the “outsider,” the one who does not fit neatly into the mold of his society. The poet, the philosopher, the seer—all were often judged abnormal by the crowd, for they refused to think as others thought or to walk where others walked. Buterin’s words echo this lineage. To know oneself as different is at first a wound, a sense of exile from the warm embrace of the familiar. Yet in time, it becomes a flame, lighting the way to discoveries others cannot imagine. What the world calls abnormal, Heaven may call destiny.

Consider the tale of Socrates, wandering the streets of Athens. He asked questions that unsettled the proud and disturbed the comfortable. Many called him strange, a gadfly stinging the horse of the city. Yet his refusal to conform, his willingness to embrace his own abnormal nature, planted seeds that grew into the mighty oak of philosophy. What others saw as defect was, in truth, the very force that gave him power. So too with Buterin, whose sense of difference prepared him to build new systems where none had existed before.

But let us not romanticize too quickly. To feel oneself as abnormal is not always noble—it is often lonely. The child who does not laugh with the crowd, the youth who cannot share the common passions, feels the chill of separation. Buterin himself has spoken of these moments, when being different felt like an isolation rather than a gift. This is the crucible of the uncommon soul: to endure the season of loneliness without extinguishing the fire of difference. For if one endures, the fire becomes a beacon.

And this is the teaching for all who listen: do not despise the feeling of being different. If you sense within yourself an abnormal way of seeing, of feeling, of creating—do not bury it. The world advances not by the many who follow the path, but by the few who dare to stray from it. What seems odd to the crowd may be the seed of transformation. Yet guard this truth with humility, for difference without discipline can dissolve into chaos. It is only when difference is tempered with purpose that it becomes a gift to the world.

Thus, the lesson is clear: embrace your own abnormality as a signpost of possibility. Seek not to erase it in order to belong, but to cultivate it in order to serve. If you are strange, let your strangeness be fruitful. If you are different, let your difference be purposeful. As Buterin’s path shows, the sense of being unlike others may lead not to ruin, but to the creation of whole new worlds.

Practical action must follow this wisdom. Cherish your unique interests, even if others mock them. Protect the ideas that stir your soul, even if they seem alien to those around you. Surround yourself with companions who respect your difference, and do not be afraid to walk alone when necessary. Above all, transform the loneliness of abnormality into the strength of individuality. For in time, what set you apart may become what sets you above.

So remember the words of Buterin: “I knew, for a long time, that I was kind of abnormal.” Let this confession be not a lament, but a banner of courage. For all who dare to be different, know this: the world may laugh today, but tomorrow it may follow the path you blaze. Therefore, walk on, not ashamed of your difference, but proud of it, for in your abnormality lies the seed of your greatness.